Shirt board for ironing machines



`ulne 26, 1923.

c. E. wARr-:AM ET AL SHIRT BOARD FOR IRONING-MACHINES Original Filed July 2,

1917 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

`ume 26, 1923. EAJW@ C. E. WAREAM ET AL SHIRT BOARD FOR IRONING MACHINES Patented .lune Z6, 1923.

UNITED s'rArEs PATENT oF-FICE.

CHARLES E. WAR/EAM, OF CINCINNATI, AND DANA H. BENJAMIN, OF CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE AMERICAN LAUNDRY MACHINERY COM- PANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, `A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

SHIRT BOARD FOR IRONING MACHINES.

Original application led July 2, 1917, Serial No. 178,286. Divided and this application filed July 18 1917, Serial No. 181,395. Renewed July 18, 1921. Serial No. 485,787.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that We, `CHARLES E. VAREAM and DANA H. BENJAMIN, citizens `ot' the United States, residing at Cincinnati and Cleveland Heights, respectively, in the counties of Hamilton and Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shirt Boards for Ironing Machines, otwhich the'followinnr is a specification.

This invention relates to ironing machines, and more particularly to the shirt board for holding the Work while ironing the same.

The objects of the invention are to provide improved means for clamping' or holdine the ends of the neck-band While and after expanding the neck-band former therein; to enable said clamping` orholding means to be operated conjointly with or to be coupled with the 'device for actuating the f neck band former; to enable the neck-band clamping' device to be set lightly with the fingers and subsequently more firmly vby suitable mechanism for insuring correct position of the shirt neck-band; to `improve i the shape ot the ironing board. especially at the shoulder end. to enable the shirt to be dressed thereon with the tails spread and so ironed. but nevertheless securing, proper slope or inclination of the shoulder folds when the shirt is folded up and buttoned after ironing; and finally, to generally im prove the construction of the board itselt1 and its operating; mechanism to secure improved quality in the ironing Work per formed on the machine.

Further objects of the invention Aare in part obvious and in .part will appear more in detail hereinafter. The invention comprises the shirt ironing `board"hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, which represent one embodiment ot the invention, Fig. l is a cen tral longitudinal elevation; Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 2 2 Fig. l; Fig. 3 is a .similar section on the line 3 3 Fig. 1,: Fig. 4 is a plan view on a reduced scale; Fig. 5 is a plan view on a larger scale ot the neck band former. the board itself being' omitted; Fie'. G is a detail cross section on the line 6 6 Fig'. 5: Fie'. 7 is a central longitudinal section on the line 7 7 F ig, 5 and F 8 is a detail cross section on the line 8 8 F ig. 5. l

This application is a division of our` copending application for ironingmachines filed July '2, 1917, Serial No. 178,286, and the shirt board shown, described, `and claimed 'herein is` one of the forms of shirt boards illustrated and described in said parent application, and is adaptedfor use with the same or any suitable `form of iron-` ing machine. This shirt board illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter described in detail is so arranged as to enable the shirt to be dressed thereon in form to be ironed and While on the board is brought into ironing relation with a suitable ironing' member for ironinevthe shirt. Since this organization `is WellknoWn inthe art no further description thereof is required.

Referring' now tothe drawings, 1. indicates Ya suitable support, which `may be either stationary `or movable according 'to the character of the particular machine With which the board is used. On the present machine this support is in the form of -a hollow sleeve to receive a post 2 depending from the base 3 `oit the frame carrying the shirt board. The" sleeve 1 may also be provided With a laterally extending arml 4, having'an opening to receive a rod or bar 5 depending from the base 3. This arrangement enables the framev and attached shirt board tobe raised and-lowered in the sleeve,

but prevents rotation of the frame 3 therein. The iframe 3 is provided with upwardly extending' Webs 6 which support the block 7 attached to the under side of 'a longitudinal bar 8 lying in a recess of the board 9 lbeneath the padding 10 thereon. This bai'` extends from the tail end of the board to a point near the neck band end thereof Where it is provided with a recess to receive vertical pins 11 on which are located sleeves 12 mounted in recesses in the stationary `tor- Ward portion 13 of the neck-band former.- The sl-eeves 12 can rise and fall onthe pins With the ironing motion, so as to allow the neck band former to sink with the padding when ironing` pressure is applied to the shirt. but prevents any horizontal motion ot' the stationary member 13 of the neckband former relative to the supporting frame 3, Consequently if the co-ope'rating ironing member is in xed relation with the frame 3, the curve of the recess in said ironing'member will always lie in proper registering relation with the stationary portion 13 of the neck-band former.

Suitable means is provided for enabling the size of the neck-band former to be varied to accommodate shirts of various sizes and to also enable the neck-band former to be expanded in the neck-band of the shirt and to produce the proper forni thereof. The expanding movement is secured by moving back the back portions of the neck-band former, but as the curve of the neck-band former always bears a definite relation to the folding line at the yoke end of the shirt board, the board is moved back with the back portions of the neck-band former. This arrangement maintains the folding line at the neck-band end of the shirt substantially tangent to the curve at the back of the neck-band in all sizes to which the neckband former is adjusted.

The shirt board 9 is attached to and is carried by a hollow frame 1li having a base 15 sliding on V ways of the base 3 (see Fig. 3).` At one end the board 9 carries the back yoke receiving frame16 from which risesa plate 17 having a head 18 provided with a recess to receive a ytransversely extending rod 19 whose ends enter openings in the adjustable back portions 2O of thel neck band former. Said back portionsare attached to pins or rods 20a which enter horizontal openings in the stationary forward portion 13 of vthe neck band former, said openings diverging from the tail toward the neck-band end of theshirt board, as shown in Fig. 5. lVhen the frame r14 withthe attached shirt boa-rd 9 is moved rearwardly rod 19 is carried back and moves withit the adjustable rear portions 2O of the neck-band former, said portions also moving outwardly from the full line to the dotted line position Fig. 5 thereby expanding the neck-band former but substantially maintaining its neck-band shape or form. y

The back yoke receiving member may be heated in any suitable manner, such as by electric current supplied to an electric heating unit therein, as in the parent application before referred to, but is here shown as heated by steam or other heating medium introduced to the hollow heating chamber 21 thereof through the pipe 22.

In this machine the shirt is dressed upon the boardy with its tails diverging and with the button and button-hole strips extending in divergi'ng lines parallel with the edges 23 of the board, the shirt board being of what is known as the keystoney type its side edges rdiverging from the neck-band end toward the tail end, as shown in Fig. 4. The end edges 24: of the board, whose lines are maintained substantially tangent to the back of the neck-band former, as before described, also diverge and extend ba'ckwardly and outwardly away from the neck-band former. They may diverge on straight diagonal lines but are shown as diverging in a gradual curve. These edges of the board co-operate with the back yoke ironer when the latter is brought into ironing engagement with the back yoke receiving portion 16 of the board to produce the folding lines in the yoke. When the shirt is set up on this board with said folding lines inclinedy backwardly and outwardly, as shown, and with the tails spread, the shirt will take the aroper desired form when buttoned up after its removal from tliefboard. In other words, by curving or inclining the end edges of the board and the cooperating back yoke ironer lcompensation is made for abnormal divergence of the tails, so that when the shirt is closed up in final form its shoulders have the proper desirable slope. l v

The neck-band of the shirt is applied to the neck-band former unbuttoned, its edges merely meeting or abutting, although they may lap slightly if desired. The absence of buttons requires the meeting ends of the shirt neck-band to be clamped or held against the stationary front portion of the neck-band former before expanding the former in the neck-band to avoid separating the meeting ends of the neck-band. For this purpose we provide' the neck-band clamping member 25 shown in Figs. 5 and 7, and comprising the body portion 26 sliding in a recess in the top of the stationary portion 13 of the neck-band former and having a depending flange 27 lying in front of said former and whose inner surface next to the neck band may be padded or otherwise provided with a suitable yielding clamping surface 28. This clamping device is either rigidly or pivotedly attached to a rod 29 around which is a spiral compression spring 30 tending to move said clamping member away from the neck-band former or to the release position. Rod 29 extends rearwardly through an opening in an L shaped locking member 31 and then through an opening in the upwardly extending portion 32 of a slide 33 movable longitudinally in the body 13 of the neck-band former and provided with arecess 34 to receive the lower edge of the locking member 31. A light compression spring 35 is located between members 31 and 32 and tends to move member 31 forwardly orto the right in Fig. 7, The opening in said member is slightly larger than the rod 29, so that when the vertical portion of member 31 assumes a position askew to the axis of rod 29 under the influence of spring 35 it grips the rod and prevents it from moving forwardly.

' Pressure applied by the lingers to the clamping member 27 to'push the same backwardly will swing member 31 backwardly about its lower edge, release the rod and allowr it to move rearwardly. This arrangement env ables the shirt to be pressed upon the board with the neck-band surrounding the neckband former rand the clamping member to be pushed baclnvardly by the fingers or thumb into light temporary clamping engagement with the neck-band former.

Slide 33 is also provided with a depending notched `port-ion 36 rto receive an upwardly extending toe 37 on the 'bar 38 which slides in arecess or channel of the bar' 8and whose forward end (see F ig. 1) is suitably connected to operating mechanism, as shown said bar is pivotally connected to one arm of a lever 39 whose other arm is pivotally con nected to a rod 40. By pulling on said rod the slide 38 is moved rearwardly carrying with it member 31 and moving the clamping member 27 into more firm clamping engage rnent with the neclr-band.

The mechanism for actuating the rod 4() to secure powerful clamping pressure is preferably associated with the mechanism for expanding the neck-.bandjformer7 so that both the clamping pressure and the expansion of the neck-band former may be secured by a single operation. y

In the forni shown in the drawings the webs 6 ofthe base 3 serve to rsupport a cross shaft 41 carrying a gear Vsegment 42 and a cam 43. Segment 42 co-operates with the gear segment 44rotating on a shaft 45 also supported by the webs 6` andhaving a depending larm -46 provided with 'a roller 47 which is movable. between an abutment 48 .on the board carrying frame 14 'and a cross bar 49 also attached to and forming a part of 'the frame 14 and which extends across between 'the side wallsthereof. Arm 46 is also provided with a laterally extending pin 50 which vengages the `depending arm- 51 of a lever pivoted on'a shaft 52 extending across between the walls of the movable frame 14 and whose other arm 53 carries a roller 54 lying beneath a horizontal arm 55 of a latch` lever pivoted on shaft 56 carried by thewebs 6 and having a dependingarm 57 `provided with a toe 58 lying at one side of a iod 59 attached to the cross member 49 and extending through guiding openings in portions` of the frame Said toe lies in front of a locking member 60 having a base` 6l seated i in the frame and which locking member sur-7 said `rod and abutting 'small projections on the member 60.

Cam 43 lies opposite and cooperates with a roller'64 on the lower `arm 65 of 'a lever whose upper'arm is pivotallv lconnected to a sleeve 66 having a sliding .movement on the rod 40 and lying adjacent-1a light compression springs67 between said sleeve 66 and adjustable nuts 68 on the end of said rod. Rod 40 is also provided with a collar 69 serving as a seat for one end of the compres sion spring 7() whose opposite end abutsfa seat on the frame 14. Sha-ft 41 extendsy out through one 'of the webs`6 and its outerend is provided with Aan` operatingr handle Lor lever 71 for manipulation 'by the operator.

In preparing the shirt for ironing it is dressed upon the board with the ends of the neck-band meeting or overlapping beneath the clamping member 27 which is pushed up into light clamping engagement with Vthe neck-band. `The body 1310i the neck-band former is usuallyprovided with an undercut groove `or channel 72 Fign6, to receive the neck-band, and thev clampingpressure of the neck-band clamping member forces the neckband into its seat in said channel. Lever 751 is then turned in a counter clock-wise direction Fig. 1. `The iirstmotion of said 'lever causes `cam 43 to rmove the roller 64 to the left land apply a yielding pull through 'the spring 67 to the rod 40. thereby oscillating lever 39 in a counter clock-wise direction and' through the mechanism described applying power-ful clamping pressure to the member 27 ot the neck-band. 4Lever 71 is moved un-y til the roller 64 rides up upon the 'outer circumference of-cam 43, springs 67 4and T70 allowing additional motionof lever flatter full clamping action has been secured.

Further motionof lever 71 has no citent y upon the clamping action. v

The first motion of "lever 71 also oscillates gear segment 42 and turns arm 46 in acloclby wise direction Fig. 1. Roller 47 moves to has been held in the position `shown in Fig. 1 b v the pin 50. The arm 53 of said lever` therefore. allows arm 55fto"drop moving the toe58 awayv from lthe latch 60. By the time roller 64 reaches the top of cam 43. `roller 4:7 has reached the abutment 48 and further motion of lever 71 causes the `frame 14 of the shirt board 9 with the padding thereon to move to the leitin Fig. 1. carrying backy the rod 19 and expanding the neck' band former in the neck-band of the shirt. As

the trame14movesb-aclrwardlv `rod 59 slides loose-ly through the -latch 60. but said latch prevents return movement ofthe said slide; Lever 71 is liftedvuntil the `neck-'band is fully clamped and the nec-lcband former is fullv expanded in the neck-band. The shirt is then ready to be ironed `either by a hand iron or by bringing the board with the shirt thereon'into co-loperation with a suitable ironing member. v

.IVhen the Lshirt has'been ironed it is' released-trom the board by moving lever 71 in a clock-wise direction. The liirst'downward-movement of said levermoves the roller 47V away from the abutment 48 and brings pin 50 into engagement with the lever arm 5l, causing arm 53 to rise. Roller 54 on said arm engages arm 55and turns the lever55, 5T in a olockwise direction Fig. 1 advancing the toe `58 into engagement with the latch, thereby turning said latch and releasing the rod 59 thereit'rom.v Further downward movement of lever 71 causes the )roller-'47 to engage the cross ybar 49 and moves the trame 14 to the right in Fig. l.. .collapsing the neck-band former. This movement continues until the roller 64 leaves *the circumference of -cam 43, whereupon-the lever 55 is turned in a counter clock-wise direction Fig.' 1 by the spring 67, which permits mot-ion ofy rod 40 to release lock 3l and allows the neck-band clamping member 9.7 tomove to release position, per-l mitting the ironed shirt tobe removed from the board. f i

The shirt'is-ironedwith kthe folding line diverging at the yoke but the tails are spread. Consequentlywhen the shirt is finally buttoned upthe foldingflinenis straightened out at the shouldersand the proper desired slope of thefshoulders is secured.

`.The construction described enable-s the shirts to be ironed more rapidly and with betterresults than prior constructions for thepurpose( l 1 fVhat we claim is:

1,-Ashirt-ironing board having its end` edges, at the vneck-band receiving end 'diverging outwardly and backwardly, and a neck-band former on said board, said end edges beingy substantially tangent to the curve oi the neck-band former.

i 2. Ashirt-ironing board `havingvits side edges diverging from the neck-band end toward thetail endv and-'its end edges at the neck-band vend diverging outwardly and backwardly. and-a neck-band former on said boa-rd, saidl end edges vbeing substantially tangent to 'the Vcurve of the neck-band former. A" shirt ironing board having its side edges diverging from the neck-band end towardthe tail end'andits end edges at the neck-band i yend 1 diverging outwardly and backwardly, a. neck-band former on said boarchsa-id end edges being substantially tangent to the curve of the neck-band former` and means for adjustingthefsize ot said neck-band former Without disturbing the tangent'relation of the end edges of the board thereto. .i

4; .In combination, an ironing boa-rd for supporting a shirt to be ironed, an adjustable neck-band former thereon, means carmeans and adjustclamp, and ycommon means adapted when operated to adjust said former and also operate said clamp.

'6.` In combination. an ironing board for supporting a shirt to be ironed, an adjustable neck-band ibrnier thereon, means for clamping the shirt neck-band to said former, and common means operata-ble from the tail end ot said board for both adjusting said former and4 also operating said clamping means.

7. In combination, an ironing board for supporting a shirt to be ironed, an adjustable neck-band former thereon, an operating member, actuating connections between said member and adjustable former, a neckband clamp,'and means whereby said neck-band clamp is also operated by said member.

,8.- In Combination, an ironing `board for supporting a shirt'to be ironed, an adjustable neck-band former thereon, v`va neck-band clamp, an operating member, operating connections between said-member and adjustable former, and between :said member and cla-mp, and a lost motionconnection in said mechanism.

9. In combination` an ironing board for supporting a shirt to be.ir0ned,`an adjustable-nei'fk-band former thereon, a neck-band clamp, an operating member, operating conner'tions between said member and adjustable former and between said member and clamp, the connection between said operating member and clamp being yielding.

l0. In combination, an ironing board for supporting a shirt to be ironed, anl adjustable .neck-band former thereon, a neck-band clamp, an operating member, operating mechanism between said member and adjustable former and between said member and clamp, and a lost motion connection between said operating member and adjustable former. j

l1. In combination, an ironing board-for supporting a shirt to be ironed.' an adjustable neek-band former thereon, a neckband clamp, an operating member, operating mechanism between said member and adjustable former and between said member and cla-mp, a yielding connection between said operating member and clamp, and a lost motion connection between said operating member and adjustable former.

l2. In combination, an ironing board for supporting a shirt to be ironed, an adjustable neck-band former thereon comprising aiplurality of portions therelation of the iront one ot which to said board may be ad- .by said ironing board and comprisingseveral portions, one of which is stationary relative to said support, said stationary portion carrymgfa neck-band clamp, and means for adjusting said former and actuating said clamp.

14. In combination, a support, an ironing board adjustable thereon, a neck-band former carried by said ironing board and comprising several portions, one ot' which is stationary relative to said support, said stationary portion carryinga neck-band clamp, and means carried by said support and adapted when operated to actuate said clamp and adjust said former.

15. In combination, a support, an ironing board adjustable thereon, spaced abutments movable with said board, an adjustable neckband former including a member carried by said support and members adjustable with said board, and an operating member movably mounted'on said support and having a portion movable between said spaced abutments for operative engagement therewith.

16. In combination, a support` an ironing board adjustable thereon, spaced abntmeiits movable with said board, an adjustable neclrband former including` a front member., carried by said support and rear members adjustable with said board, a neclzband clamp on said front membena rod for operating the same, a movable member on said support having a portion movable between said spaced abutments for operative engagey ment therewith, and means on said support for actuating said rod and movable member.- j

17. In combination, a support, an ironing board adjustable thereon, spaced abutments movable with said board, an adjustable neckband former including a front member carried by said support and rear members adjustable with said board, a` neckband clamp on said front member, a rod toroperating the same, and two swinging levers on said support, one for actuating said rod and the other having a portion movable between said abutments for operative engagement therewith.

18. In combination, a support` an ironing board adjustable thereon, spaced abutments movable with said board, an adjustable neckband former including a front member carried by said support and rear members adjustable with said board, a neckband clampron said front member, a rod for operatingthe same, two swinging levers on said support, one for actuating said rod and the other having a portion movable between said abutments for operative engagement,y therewith, `and means ,co-operating with said `last named lever kfor locking the pneckba-nd former' in any position to which it :maybe adjusted.` i j, 19. In combinatioma support, an ironing board adjustable thereon,

neckband former including` a front member `carried by said support andrear members adjustable with said board, a neckband clamp on said front member, a rod for operating the same, two swinging levers on said support, one for actuating said rod and the other having a portion movable between said v abutments for operative engagement therewith, means co-operating with said last named lever for locking the y neckband former in any position to which it may be adjusted, and means actuated by said last named rlever for releasing said lock.

20. In. combination, a support, aniioning board adjustable thereon, spaced abutments movable with said board, an ,adjustable neckband former including a front member carried by saidsupport and rear members adjustable with said board, a neckband clamp on said front member, a rod for operating the same, two swinging levers on said support, one for actuating said rod and the other having` a portion movable between said abutments for operative' engagement therewith, an operating lever, a ycam actuated thereby for operating the first named of said two levels and gear segmentsactuated by `said operating lever for actuating the second `said structure ,and board being freely and relatively movable normally to the plane of the boardso that the structure rests at all times on the padding regardless of the thickness of the padding.

22.. An ironing board, comprising a support, a padded work receiving board on said support, a neckband former and clamp structure resting on the padding of said board, said'structure and board being freely and relatively `movable normally to the plane oi the board so that the structure rests at all times on the padding regardless of the thickness of the padding, said neckband former and structure includingv an eX- pansible formerand a clamp for the neckband thereon, and common operating means for expanding vsaid former and operating said clamp. v`

23, An ironing board, comprising a support, a padded` work receiving board thereon, a neclibandvformer resting on the pad- .ding2 of said Aboard and freely movable normally to the plane Aof the board to rest on saidl padding regardless of the thickness h n spacedfabutments `movable with said, board, .an adjustable thereof, and a neckband clamp carried by sald neckband former.V 1

24. An lronlng board, comprlsmg a' support, a padded Work receiving board thereon, aneckband former'restng on the pad dingo` said board and eely ymvable knormally to the plane of the boardto rest "on said paddingregardless of the thickness thereof, urneckband clamp carried by Said neckband former, said n'e'ckband former being adjustable to Various sizes, and common operatngfmeans for adjusting said former and operating said clamp. I

tures.

CHARLES E. WAREAMQ DANA 151. BENJAMIN'.

In testlmony whereof` We affix u ysigna- 

